


Scauskaia's Shorts (RWBY)

by Scauskaia



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe, Cute, F/F, Fluff, Marriage Proposal, Random & Short, Romance, Vacation
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-02
Updated: 2016-10-31
Packaged: 2018-06-06 01:18:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 10,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6731938
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scauskaia/pseuds/Scauskaia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is a simple collection of unrelated RWBY shorts I put together in spare time. I'll be taking requests for these if anyone is interested. I'll write for any ship or situation you like, though you'll have to contact me to ensure I'll take your prompt and to give me details.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. False Pretenses

False Pretenses

Blake blushed, shuffling into the dimly lit parlor with her hands nervously tugging the hem of her dress down lower than its natural height. It had been five years to the day since she had last worn this dress. Five years she had spent learning the ways of a Huntress, fighting for equal rights between the Faunus and humans, and saving the world from utter destruction. Her team had devoted themselves to the protection of Remnant and to each other through all their time at Beacon Academy and beyond.

_Stupid thing,_ she sighed in her thoughts. _Why would Yang insist I wear this? It barely fits, and it's been so long…_ Blake scanned the room, taking a seat in one cushioned wooden chair with one mostly exposed cream-colored, smooth leg crossed modestly over the other. She folded her arms over her chest and eyed the suited waiters and waitresses scurrying about with trays of wine or hors d'oeuvres raised high above their heads on one hand while the other, draped with an embroidered towel, made a fist over their hearts. She didn't mind such a classy establishment, though it was certainly an odd place to meet her team. Weirder still, neither she nor Weiss had suggested the restaurant.

A man whose hair consisted more of gel than actual follicles approached her, bowing low to meet the young Faunus face to face without sacrificing his formal posture. Two groomed lines of facial hair thinner than caterpillars adorned his upper lip and his eyes were locked in a permanent glare of superiority. “Miz Belladonna? Your table is ready for you now.”

Blake stood to follow her waiter, grimacing as the skirt again rode up her legs and exposed her knees. Her cheeks felt hot as she made her way to the round table near the string orchestra playing in the center of the restaurant, feeling dozens of refined eyes looking her over as she crossed into the dining room. She sank halfway into her seat once they arrived, earning her an audible scoff from the waiter. “You are expecting company, yes?” He drawled.

Blake simply nodded her confirmation, drumming her ebon fingernails on the red satin tablecloth until he left her alone. _Where are you girls?_ She mentally hissed at her absent teammates, making a note to chastise them for putting her through this alone.

While she waited, she looked down upon herself. Blake had worn this very dress during her first year at Beacon. She had forced herself to take Yang’s advice and let loose despite her misgivings, taking a short break from her investigations into the Roman Torchwick case so long ago. All of that seemed insignificant now, save for one brief period. A single song played in her head over and over. For years, she had memorized every note, every lull and crescendo in the strings that accompanied her and Yang’s first dance together. The dance that made her fall in love.

At once, she felt her nerves slowly begin to melt away. Her mind reset, abandoning her fears of the night and pulling the corners of her mouth up into a faint smile. The strings playing behind her were drowned out by a single cello, humming in its deep bass octave. Violas joined in shortly, followed by a pair of violins. More still joined until at last, the melody swept her mind completely clear.

No, it was unfair to say she knew at that moment she loved Yang. She even became involved with Sun for a time after that. However, during their third year at Beacon Academy, long after their dealings with Salem, Blake could no longer deny her feelings that had only amplified in all that wasted time. She awoke in the middle of the night to the sounds of soft sniffling coming from the bunk above her. Crinkling her nose and squeezing her eyes shut, she struggled internally with a decision on whether she should intervene or to let Yang have her peace. She had chosen wisely.

_The floorboards creaked in wailing protest as Blake rose to her feet, immediately silencing the whimpering from on high. Not one to be easily fooled, she turned on cold, pale feet back towards her bunk bed, standing near the center of the room as she stared up at the disheveled yellow mass of hair draped over a back that was turned to her. With one glance over her shoulder at Ruby and Weiss to confirm they were asleep, Blake sprung up and perched on the edge of Yang’s bed with another groan from the wood. Her black, furry ears twitched beneath her bow, picking up the shakiness in Yang’s breathing and the almost inaudible sniffling coming from beneath her. Instead of saying anything, Blake simply leaned down and hugged her partner. Yang rose quietly from her sheets, just as silent as Blake, and wrapped her strong, quivering arms around the other girl. Her face was buried in the crook of Blake’s neck, wetting her smooth skin with warm tears._

_“Another nightmare?” Blake whispered, already knowing the answer._

_“But you're here.” Yang’s response was hardly coherent, taking several shaky breaths between syllables. She sucked in hair with a slight whistle, releasing hot air back over Blake’s chilled skin. “You’re here, and we’re all okay…”_

_Blake closed her eyes, gently petting the shuddering brawler’s back in loving, patient strokes. “Shh… Of course we are. We’d never let anything happen to each other. And I made a promise to all of you years ago. I'm never going to run away again. Never.” She felt her Amber eyes grow heavy as she formed her own tears. They spilled out over her cheeks, combining into large droplets that hung from her chin until more came and brought them splashing down on Yang’s golden locks. Strong arms squeezed tighter around her waist, cutting off unnecessary reserves of air for the Faunus, who smiled._

_“It all seemed so real…” Yang was about to choke out another sob, moving to bury her face in Blake’s shoulder again. She stopped her with a hand on each of Yang’s shoulders, holding her almost a foot away._

_“Can I try something?” Blake purred, smiling still much to Yang’s confusion. Without waiting for a response, she moved one hand to cup Yang’s burning hot cheek, sliding her thumb over her jaw to prod her chin. Her other hand pulled Yang in close once more._

_Sparks flew as their lips collided for the first time. Both of their minds ran blank, thinking only of each other as their lives flashed before their eyes, dissecting out every memory they had that led them here. Adam. Yang’s mother. Team RWBY. The Emerald Forest. The Vytal Festival. Torchwick. The White Fang. Cinder Fall. Salem. Each other._

_Nearly a minute had passed before the two girls pulled apart. Another slipped away before either of them could speak._

_“I promised I'd never run away. I'd never hide anything from you.”_

_“I know.”_

_Yang kissed her this time._

_When Weiss and Ruby awoke the next morning, they saw Blake sharing Yang’s bunk with an arm draped over the blonde’s bared stomach possessively. They could almost hear the ghost of the previous night’s conversation coming to a close._

_“I love you.” Blake._

_“I love you too.” Yang._

_Ruby and Weiss hugged each other around the waist, silently screaming their delight._

Blake purred from deep within her chest as the song came to a close. _Late or not, I’m a lucky girl,_ she mused. She was snapped out of her reminiscent stupor by a flash of yellow igniting the dim room in her peripheral. Raising her head, Blake was graced with a gift from above as she once again looked upon the stunning face of her lover, locking her own amber orbs with Yang’s glittering amethysts. As she crossed the room over to Blake, her girlfriend’s flowing white dress billowed behind her with the same confidence she always carried with her. That dress still looked as absolutely incredible as it had at the dance so long ago.

Yang took a seat in the chair opposite Blake, sighing with what sounded like frustration so clearly left unrepresented in her facial features. “I'm sorry I'm late... Ruby and Weiss aren't even going to make it at all. They didn't say much, just something about planning.” She shrugged, rolling her eyes at the other two members of their team.

Blake shook her head at the apology, reaching across the table to place her hands on top of Yang’s. One was a bit colder than the other, a painful reminder that beneath the synthetic skin was a mechanical limb her partner had received after the man who practically taught her everything she knew severed her arm while she was defending Blake. Those were darker days, especially for the two of them. She squeezed Yang’s hands, imagining their thoughts followed a similar trend at that moment. “I'm just glad you're here,” she uttered, maintaining eye contact with Yang.

The moment ended shortly and both women sat back in their chairs to look over their menus. Yang squirmed uncomfortably in her seat, clearing her throat several times before she leaned forward again to speak.

“So um...is this a date then?”

Blake squeezed her eyes shut and giggled, stifling the sound with her three longest fingers pressed to her lips. “Sure. This is a date. So you can start by telling me why exactly we’re wearing these old things?” She indicated their dresses. Yang’s eyes darted back and forth suspiciously before coming to rest on Blake’s golden saucers. She exhaled sharply, hunching over and placing her elbows on the table. Her chin rested on her fists.

“To be honest? We missed two good years after our first dance. Two years we could've been perfectly happy together, stood together against everything that happened. Okay, first off, I never invited Weiss or Ruby. They'd have been a bit of a distraction; can't have that, can I? Second, I really wanted to imagine we could somehow get those years back just by… I don't know, recreating some of those conditions.” She looked away, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. She knew Blake hated false pretenses, but every word was the truth. After a few moments of uninterrupted silence, Yang curiously looked back up to find her girlfriend grinning ear to ear, silently shaking as she tried not to laugh. Her blush burned hotter. “H-Hey, I--”

“Shh. I appreciate it. More than you know. I'd rather spend our three year anniversary alone together anyway, no matter how old the dress or how you get me here.” Her eyes flitted over to the side, eyeing their waiter as he approached their table with the same stoic expression as before.

“Are the lady and Madame ready to order?” He took a small pad of paper from his belt along with a black pen banded with gold. Blake winked across at the very flustered Yang, ordering for both of them with boosted confidence.

*    *    *

They talked and laughed for almost an hour there, only occasionally slipping into silence to listen to the band behind them. Their dinner was one of the best either had ever had, and while expensive, easily covered by Yang’s substantial bonus from helping a wealthy client with a Grimm infestation in their place of business. The night outside was marred by falling rain, though in here it was warm and the air smelled sweetly of pastries and spices blending in beautiful tandem.

Yang shifted in her seat, looking over her shoulder at their waiter who had been watching her patiently for the duration of their stay. They made eye contact briefly, his eyes drifting to her fingers. Her index and middle fingers curled twice, calling him forth. Across the table, Blake was still smiling happily, not a care in the world at that exact moment. Her hands laid on the table. Their plates had long since been cleared away, leaving only a burning candle between them. Yang wiped sweat clean of her own palms on the tablecloth out of her girlfriend’s sight before reaching out and grabbing Blake’s waiting fingers.

“I'll never get over just how incredible you've been all this time. I've known you since we were barely seventeen; we’re almost twenty three and I love you more now than ever. Even without my arm, all my damage, the years of Hell we’ve been through, you've always been there. Even when you weren't. You kept me grounded, safe and sane.” She released one of Blake’s hands, instead enveloping the other in both of hers about the palm and raised it to touch her forehead to her partner’s cold fingers. “I'd be so lost without you. I’ll never let you go, Blake; that’s a promise.” She tilted her chin down and kissed the other woman’s soft knuckles.

Their waiter returned to them once again, this time carrying two tall glasses filled halfway with thick ruby liquid. Any light shining through the glass created a crimson rim around the liquid’s crest, though beyond it became too opaque and dark to see through. Taking her glass, Blake breathed deeply of the strong, sweet grape smell of the zinfandel, finding her mouth watered at the blend of fruit and spices within. She was no connoisseur of fine wines, but as their waiter prattled on about a ‘fortified port’ of some kind, she looked past her glass into Yang’s mauve eyes, squeezing her hand gently as a sign they could continue talking as soon as the other man was done and gone. She didn’t even register him leaving the two alone; she had been absorbed again by amethyst crystals that stared through to her soul and touched her core.

Yang raised her glass from the stem, pinching it delicately between her middle and ring fingers. “To us, then, and the eternity we have to walk together…” Blake nodded her approval with yet another smile, clinking the lip of her own glass to Yang’s before closing her eyes, tilting her head back and parting her lips for the dry wine. She drank slowly, sipping only a few drops at a time to savor the richness of her drink.

Her eyes widened in shock as her teeth rattled; something hard and cold glanced off of them, chilling her gums. She laced her tongue through an opening in the object and lowered her nearly depleted glass, opening her eyes to see Yang scooting back in her chair. Her face was beet red and fidgeting awkwardly. Blake looked down into her palm as she dropped the object into her hand from between her teeth. Three large diamonds were socketed into the rift between two narrow bands of silver, each side topped with smaller diamonds until the bands joined together into one along the bottom half of the stunning ring. It took a long time for her to process just what was happening; the ring was removed from her open palm and slid over her ring finger at the same time as a deep bass cello began to play directly behind her. Violins played as her vision blurred, her eyelids growing heavy with small tears.

“Blake, I never want to think about being away from you, even for a moment. I want to know you’re mine and that I’m yours; I want to show you that no matter what the future holds, I’ll always be there for you, so… Will you marry me?” Yang was on one knee in front of her, struggling with her own tears as she held Blake’s hand oh so gently between her own.

“W-What did you say…?” Blake stuttered, barely forming words with a strained exhalation through the fingers of her free hand that covered her mouth.

“I said, will you marry me Blake Belladonna?”

She received her response in the form of a pair of arms squeezing her tighter about the shoulders than in any hug she had ever given or received before. One hand pressed into her back contained a single digit that was wrapped in a cold silver ring that jutted out from the rest of Blake’s dainty fingers, digging into her shoulder blade. Yang winced at the breathless sensation, though she didn’t mind. Her girlfriend’s tears burned cold into her neck, leaving an oddly shaped splotch of wetness on her exposed skin. But she only became truly breathless moments later. A single word that carried the weight of the world.

“Yes…” Her voice shuddered, verbally signing their partnership in the stars. She held Yang tightly on the floor of the restaurant, being watched by every other patron in attendance. Their clapping, cheering, and well wishes fell on deaf ears; Blake’s cat ears only twitched in rhythm to the song she and Yang had danced to five years prior. Her human ears focused instead on her partner’s slow, heavy breathing as they embraced.

Neither Blake Belladonna nor Yang Xiao Long truly understood why they were crying, for surely they felt naught more than pure light hearted joy at that moment. Perhaps, as each woman held their new _fiancée,_ they knew they would never cry so hard again for the rest of their days.


	2. Dirty Thief

Dirty Thief

Yang Xiao Long had never been one for sappy romanticism. If anything, she intentionally avoided such things; avoiding Valentine’s Day like the plague was something of a specialty of hers. Sure, it was easy for her to make catcalls and coo at attractive men and even the occasional woman, but her reality was far different from the façade she put on for the sake of her friends. In fact, she had never been in any legitimate relationship in all her life. She hadn't been kissed. And for the first time in her life, that little fact had become upsetting.

February twelfth, two days before the Valentine’s Day dance. Yang was twenty years old, nearly finished with her fourth year at Beacon Academy. On her team, she had her little sister Ruby, eighteen years old now and by far the greatest fighter at Beacon, likely a worthy match for their Uncle Qrow by now. Weiss Schnee, Heiress of the Schnee Dust Company, stood at the top of their class for four years running, prepared to graduate valedictorian. Yang herself had started a co-ed boxing club and simultaneously became its Grand Champion, winning every bout she had experienced in all four kingdoms.

Blake Belladonna, however...none of Team RWBY compared to the quiet Faunus girl that seemed to be in the background of everyone else’s accomplishments. However, in all actuality, she was so much more. Class salutatorian, ranked just beneath Weiss. Second best fighter Beacon had ever seen. Nobody acknowledged second best. What everyone didn't know was that beneath her calm, quiet demeanor, a fire burned in her heart. Blake had begun organizing peaceful civil rights events with another Faunus and Beacon graduate, Velvet Scarletina. Since their efforts began, public racism towards the Faunus had declined significantly, more so in a single year than the defunct White Fang had ever done under the leadership of Adam Taurus. Blake had also worked to further her goals by writing and publishing a series of children’s books under a pen name featuring a female Faunus protagonist working in tandem with humans to live happy, peaceful lives. She received no royalties, but a monthly report Yang had once spied in her hands showed just how popular her writing was.

Yang exhaled sharply, staring up at the ceiling of their dorm room. She and Blake had been partners since their second day here nearly four full years ago; they had been best friends just as long and Yang’s attraction had grown for her almost every day until at last it became almost unbearable for her to keep within. Sharing her thoughts with Ruby had only worsened the situation as her ever-loving sister encouraged her to make a move. She couldn't say anything; they were teammates, partners, she was... _Blake._ Yang squeezed her eyes shut and covered them with her palms, squeezing her forehead and groaning. “ _Why is this so hard?!”_

Sleep took her at last long after Weiss and Ruby had returned and gone to their respective beds. It was well after midnight when the frustrating thoughts finally collapsed into sleep under the incredible weight of exhaustion. Shortly after, Blake slipped quietly into their dorm and crawled onto her bed, home from a successful rally. Instead of turning over to sleep, she reached into her pillow and withdrew a black, leather bound journal. Purple bags formed beneath her tired eyes, but she insisted on at least a brief entry. Briefly glancing at a pale arm hanging from the bunk above hers, she withdrew a small black pen from her breast pocket.

Flipping through the early pages of this journal, she saw her older entries detailing her White Fang activities. Occasional notes were added in the margins regarding her mentor. Drawings of the man whom had practically raised her began to take precedence over any true recounts of her daily action. Those drawings eventually grew beautifully detailed, showing her progression as an artist, before they eventually turned violent. Adam Taurus would occasionally appear with blood trickling in two streams from his lips impaled on his own curved longsword. It wasn't long before he disappeared from her journal altogether, replaced again by true journal entries beginning with her stay at Beacon. The gap in dates was considerable, leaving her with some entries that took several pages. Eventually her artwork resumed; creatures of Grimm or fellow classmates, mainly her team, took up small corners of the pages. She watched the pages slowly flip by, chronicling the last four years of her life. As she reached her most recent entries, the subject matter began to differ much less. Occasional recounts of their missions sprung up amid her thoughts. Her thoughts ranged from opinions on any of the civil rights events she and Velvet organized together to those pages upon pages of her deepest desires. These desires, of course, were written differently than the other, far more formal records she kept of her life.

Blake stuck her tongue out of her mouth absent-mindedly as she etched a familiar face onto one of the blank yellowed pages. She painstakingly scrawled down every detail from memory until she could at last lock eyes with the full bodied image of her deepest desire. She traced along the colorless cheeks with her fingernail, leaving it to her imagination what it might feel like to really run her fingers over their smooth, warm skin.

Blake frowned, torn from her reverie by a wayward snore from above. She snapped her journal shut and stowed it away once more inside her pillow, quickly changing into her nightclothes before slipping under the warm covers of her bed. Just before sleep claimed her, she turned over onto her side and whispered, “Goodnight, Yang.”

Unbeknownst to her teammates, Ruby laid awake and silently squealed in delight. Imitating Nora Valkyrie, a single thought flooded the young huntresses mind: _This. Is. Happening!_

*    *    *

    Blake leaned her head on her hand, yawning as quietly as she could. Professor Port continued to drone on about his own youthful heroism, putting half the class to sleep while the others furiously struggled to keep their heads up. Only Weiss seemed the least bit attentive, and even she was slipping. Only one student was surely having a better time than the rest; Ruby had refused to leave her bed that morning, insistent on having a sore throat and headache. _It’s not like Ruby to skip class like that. She’s fine; if anything were actually wrong with her she’d have made a bigger scene out of it._ Blake rolled her eyes with a small smile. On their elliptical path, her amber orbs made contact with two amethyst crystals not far from her. Inside their satin prison, her furry feline ears stood at full point. She was glad at that moment to have lost her usual seat beside Yang to another student; it was not often she got so much time to study and admire her partner like this. How easy it was, being a shadow; unseen, she watched from a distance and could come away clean with all she needed.

    _No. There is no ‘enough.’_

Blake squeezed her eyes shut in her frustration as Port woefully realized class had ended and cut his long tale off short. She met with Weiss and Yang in the hallway outside. They all elected to return to their dormitory to check on Ruby before they went down to the mess hall for lunch. However, once they had returned, they found the room completely empty with Ruby’s battle gear missing from the chest of clothing at the foot of her bed. Though none of them were surprised, Weiss made a point of reprimanding her behavior without the offender present.

    “She needs to realize she’s too old for these games now. Ruby is almost nineteen, yet she continues to play sick to get out of class. It’s immature and totally unacceptable, we’ll have to make sure she never does this sort of thing again if we all want to graduate at the same time. If she keeps this up, her grades will tank and--”

    Yang cut her off, raising a silencing finger to the heiress’s lips. “Whoa there. Ruby’s grades are fine; she’s never failed a single class and I don’t see her starting any time soon. We’ve all cut class before for some reason or other. Whatever she’s doing, I’m sure it’s important. Almost anything beats Port’s class anyway, Ice Queen.” She climbed onto her bed, dangling her legs off the side. Weiss began to argue, but the validity of Yang’s argument soon sank in. Her vengeful, submissive response came in the form of her sticking her tongue out childishly. Blake smirked and followed Yang’s example, going to her bed careful of the blonde’s smooth legs. Unable to resist, her cheek grazed her partner’s calf on her way down. Though no one saw, both of them shuddered at the slightest touch.

    Blake laid her head back on her pillow, smiling for the moment. The soft cushion gave way to the weight of her head more than usual; at first it felt comfortable, but any comfort dissolved into heated panic in an instant. She shot up and dug into her pillow’s inner lining. “No, no, no… Where is it?!”

    “Where’s what?” Yang looked down at her frantic partner, peeking over the bunk bed. Blake had already sprung to her feet and was sprinting towards the door at breakneck speed.

    “Nothing!” She shouted from the hallway.

    “What’s her problem?” Weiss folded her arms, standing cockily in the doorway with one hip jutting out to the side. Yang jumped down from her bed and stepped out into the hall with her, shaking her head.

    “Beats me. I can never get a read on her when she’s like that. I just know I like it.”

    Weiss rolled her eyes. “You like everything she does, even when it’s completely crazy. Like right now. When are you going to stop lying to yourself, Yang?” She turned away and strode down the hallway, leaving a dumbstruck Yang behind with her jaw hanging loose.

    “W-Wait, w-what’s that supposed to mean?” She called out after Weiss, but she was already gone by the time Yang had recovered. Frustration set in and Yang planted her face in her palm, growling at herself. She gathered her things and closed the door to their dorm behind her, hoping she would find Ruby in the mess hall.

*    *    *

    February fourteenth came far too quickly. Team RWBY’s lunch table was silent that day while the rest of the lunchroom was abuzz with frantic chatter. Blake looked utterly exhausted and paranoid beyond measure, looking in every direction. She had gotten back to the dorm so late the night before that none of her team had truly expected her to return at all. Yang had found Ruby in the locker room after lunch the day before with no explanation as to why she had been there; the stubborn speedster refused to give her any details. Later that day inside her locker, Yang had found what Ruby had done; there was a yellow post-it note with a number on it, nothing more. It didn’t take long for her to realize it was a library decimal, though her time was limited to seek out whatever her little sister wanted to show her. Weiss hadn’t said much to Yang since the day before, none of it related to her previous accusations.

    “Blake, could I...talk to you for a minute?” Yang was almost silent in her request.

    “I have to go,” Blake muttered, leaving her lunch on the table and walking away without waiting for a response from anyone. Ruby felt a pang of regret, knowing full well why she was in such a panic. She could take some solace in the fact that all would be made right soon. The students all rushed back to their dorms once they were finished eating, each one in a hurry to prepare for the dance that night. Even Ruby and Weiss were planning to attend due to Ruby’s sudden interest, though both of them knew that their motives weren’t to enjoy themselves.

    Yang went to the library immediately after she finished eating, only taking a brief moment to change into her casual clothes in their dorm along the way. Ruby’s vague clue led her to a single aisle of books, though the number was incomplete. She had two entire shelves to go through. The frustrating absence of other clues only served to further infuriate her. Glancing at the clock, she saw the dance would be starting shortly. Fortunately for her, the absence of others would make her search a fair bit more bearable.

*    *    *

    Blake rubbed her eyes clear of exhaustion, yawning yet again as she stalked the halls of Beacon, hunting every room for her journal. She elected to search the library yet again, though her previous three visits had been entirely fruitless. She had scanned every shelf and table to no avail. Still, she refused to allow herself a moment’s rest until it was recovered and the _filthy thief_ who had taken it was apprehended, preferably at her own hand. She pushed the double doors apart and entered one of the largest buildings in all of Beacon, by far her favorite of the entire school’s campus.

    The dance had started by now. The library was even more barren than usual; in fact, she saw and heard no one at all. All the better for her search. She moved towards the student tables first, hoping against hope that she would find it carelessly left behind by whomever had taken it from her pillow. Instead, the only books she found left off their shelves was a stack of six thin children’s books emblazoned with the name, _Roselyn Blackfire._ Blake cringed at the cheesy pen name she had chosen for the collection of stories she had written hoping to open the minds of children to racial equality between the Faunus and humanity. _Why would someone have all of these pulled?_ Then she heard a page turn.

    Yang sat on a bench between the two shelves nearest to her. Between her fingers, she held the very black leather journal Blake sought so desperately, more to keep it away from the same pair of lilac eyes that now read over its final pages than to protect any other delicate information within. Blake’s heart skipped a beat and all the wind was knocked out of her at once. Blake watched as Yang closed the book and set it aside, rising to her feet. Her face was completely passive, devoid of any emotion as she approached Blake. The Faunus’ eyes went wide; fear gripped her heart, restricting her breathing and initiating a ‘fight-or-flight’ mechanism within her.

    “Yang, I… I’m sorry, I never meant… I mean, I didn’t want you to… This isn’t how I wanted to…” She stuttered, trying to find the words she needed, but none came. She was silenced by her own gasp, responding to Yang’s hand raising in the air. Blake squeezed her eyes shut, expecting a slap, a punch, anything that would knock her to the ground and send her sprawling across the floor. It hardly registered when the same hand she found so threatening slid over her cheek and around the back of her neck. Only when she felt the soft sensation of another’s lips touching her own did her eyes snap open again. An arm around her waist pulled her strongly in, touching to Yang’s. Her own arms slid up beneath her partner’s arms, cradling her back and squeezing her in a tight embrace. Only when their kiss ended did Blake again consider the words at her disposal. Three came to mind.

    “You...kissed me.”

    “Eeyup.”

    “Why…?” Blake stammered, still gripping the tops of Yang’s arms tightly beneath the shoulder.

    “If I tell you, will you promise not to kill Ruby for stealing your journal?” Yang’s eyes never lost their mischievous glint.

    “I’ll promise anything you want as long as this is really happening.”

    “I like the sound of that,” Yang purred, squeezing Blake tighter to her chest. She started to speak, but Blake couldn’t stop herself; they said it together.

    “Because I love you, idiot.”


	3. A Much Needed Rest

A Much Needed Rest  
Yang cracked her eyes open to narrow slits, yawning with her arms outstretched. The world was blurry and out of focus. Even the slightest contact with the air burned her eyes and added weight to her heavy lids. Slowly, everything came into focus; her messy room was dark save for the slim beam of golden light coming through her window, casting a single glowing sliver on the wooden floor. Her closet door, adorned with an Achieve Men poster, hung slightly ajar, revealing a shadowed bookshelf inside; most of her clothes littered the floor. Tucked into the other corner of her room was an empty bed, neatly made up without so much as a crease.  
Yang swung her legs off the side of her own bed with a pained grunt. She looked down at her bruised legs wrapped in bandages and gauze, grimacing as she recalled her most recent battle. An Atlesian mercenary had used his scientific background to his advantage, turning her bionic right arm against her while he took cowardly strikes whenever her back was turned. It was likely she would have been hurt much worse had Blake not shown up and taken care of her adversary. Lucky for her, the Faunus had shown up before any real damage could be done and sent the man running.  
“Yang?” The door’s hinges squealed. Ruby stood in the doorway framed by shadow. Yang could scarcely make out the red tinted tips of her sister’s hair. She was dressed in her pajamas, rubbing her eyes tiredly.  
“Uhh...yeah. What are you doing up so late?” Yang crossed the room, ushering her little sister back out into the hallway with her left arm draped loosely around her waist.  
“Ugh… Dad. He told me to come get you.” Ruby squirmed to free herself of her older sister, yawning loudly when she managed to break away. They both made their way towards the only light in the house, seemingly coming from the kitchen. Stepping over the threshold into the dining room, they found Blake sitting at the table tiredly resting her puffy cheek on one fist while her other hand lazily drummed on the sleek wooden surface. Weiss had fallen asleep again, quietly snoring with one cheek resting on the table. Yang briefly recalled the other bed in her room being empty, surprised she hadn't registered Blake’s absence before.  
“Wait, why am I the last one up?”  
“Don't worry about it, sweetheart,” Taiyang Xiao Long opened the door leading to the kitchen and came through with a tall stack of pancakes and a grin on his face, making it clear he was perfectly rested. “Eat up. I can make more if you girls want any!” He flashed them all another bright smile before darting back into the kitchen. Through the open door, Yang caught a glimpse of the digital clock. It was only four in the morning. She growled and shot the closing door an angry glare as she sat down with the rest of her team, arms folded.  
Ruby took a seat next to her, lazily distributing the stack of pancakes between them with her eyes closed completely. Each of them ended up with six, far too many for any of them to even consider eating their whole pile. Weiss briefly raised her face from the table only to place it down on top of her breakfast, eliciting a snort from Ruby. Yang had woken on her own and thankfully didn't seem half as tired as the rest of her friends at the moment. She glanced around for silverware before simply shrugging her shoulders, taking a pancake off her stack and folding it in half before beginning to eat it like a burrito. Blake smiled across the table, fighting the sleep out of her heavy eyelids and following her partner’s example. Ruby set about the delicate task of rousing Weiss, electing to poke her partner in the temple until she awoke.  
Taiyang returned to the dining room some twenty minutes later, finding Ruby still cowering in Weiss’s shadow while Blake and Yang sat on the opposite side of the room, half of their pancakes depleted. He ran a hand through his sandy blonde hair, smiling awkwardly this time.  
“Ehehe… Bet you girls are still wondering why I got you all up this early. Well, I'm the kind of guy who likes to travel early in the morning, yeah?” He gave them a moment to let their tired minds process the implication in his words before continuing. “You girls have been working overtime lately. If you keep up like this without a decent break, you're going to lose focus out there and end up hurt.” His eyes fell on Yang, narrowing for a time. “I was worried you all were pushing yourselves too hard, so I booked you four for a week at a beachside resort a few islands south of here where it's nice and warm. I want you all packed and ready to go in an hour, understand? I have Vale under close watch. Coco told me her team would be around to help out if I need it.”  
Yang was the first on her feet to protest, motioning wildly to nothing in particular. “Dad, Neo is still at large! She’s got trained professionals working for her now. These guys aren't just White Fang goons or gangster thugs like Junior’s boys. Neo’s working on something big; we can all feel it. Now isn't the time to send us away, even if it's just for a week!”  
Blake cut in, still sitting but visibly more alert now. “Actually, I think your dad is right. We’ve been running ourselves ragged, and from what we’ve found, even if Neo is plotting something, it's far from ready. We need a break. We’ll take this time to regroup and get back to work as soon as we’re done.”  
Weiss sighed, squeezing her eyes shut and holding her head up with three fingers. “As much as I hate to leave with unfinished business, it does seem like our most efficient option. I mean, really...how much closer are we this week than we were last week, or even the week before that? Taking this time off will be good for us.”  
“That settles it. Team RWBY is going to the beach!” Ruby had gotten up from the ground and stood on the table in a split second, flinging both arms in the air. Her cheery disposition was all too unwelcome at the early hour, resulting in a pancake slapping into her face from the direction of her partner. A moment of silence was followed by laughter from all four girls as well as Ruby and Yang’s father.  
* * *  
Ruby and Weiss sat huddled together in the back seat of Taiyang's car surrounded by their luggage that wouldn't fit in the trunk, almost all of it belonging to Weiss. Blake sat in the passenger seat with her head against the window, occasionally glancing at a map on her Scroll to keep Yang on track. Their blonde driver gripped the steering wheel tightly until her knuckles turned white; she had been forced to listen to the two in her back seat bicker for a full hour without so much as a word from either her or Blake. Just before her rage got the better of her, the harbor came into view where a ferry waited to take them to the island.  
Yang emerged from the car and immediately stretched, putting her left arm in the air while the right pulled it to the side and leaning over until her legs burned. Weiss was next to flee the vehicle, storming off towards the ferry without any bags. Ruby, on the other hand, tried her hardest to take as much luggage as she could to the point where little more could be seen of the little reaper than her strained pink face. Blake quietly followed taking her modest luggage with her. After a brief exchange with the harbormaster, Team RWBY boarded the ferry just in time for their leader to drop everything she had been carrying. Weiss’ growl was cut short, turning to laughter in a split second.  
Yang left them to deal with their bags, making her way to the railing on one side of the ferry and looking out over the side at the gentle moving waves. Her eyes felt heavy; exhaustion still weighed on her and dulled her senses. She barely felt fingers curl around her shoulder, though the warmth of her partner’s closeness didn't go unnoticed. Yang leaned over the railing and laid her head on top of her arms. “We shouldn't be leaving.”  
“I know how you feel. Remember back in our first year at Beacon when I was hung up on finding out what Roman Torchwick was up to?” Blake's grip tightened around the brawler’s shoulder, careful of her bruises.  
Yang sighed, glancing downward at the waves crashing against the side of the ferry. Sea foam bubbles bobbed atop the waves. “Of course I do. You were obsessed, running yourself ragged when there was nothing more you could do.”  
Blake tugged on her shoulder until Yang stood up straight to face her, meeting the Faunus’ golden gaze. The sun was just rising on the horizon, casting a vast canopy of warm colors across the sky. The purple and orange backdrop made it seem as if Blake were glowing.  
“This isn't like that.”  
“Yang, if you won't believe Tai, then believe me. We need this break. You need this. It's exactly like before; you're letting this search control you. We’ll be back in a week. Both your dad and Team CFVY are back in Vale continuing our work, so in the meantime, please try to enjoy yourself?”  
Yang bowed her head for a moment before slowly nodding. “I guess it can't hurt too much to let my bruises heal before we get back to it, huh?”  
Blake let her shoulder loose, instead rubbing Yang’s back up and down without another word. They watched the waves and listened to the engine’s hum together all the way to the island.  
* * *  
Yang carried hers, Blake’s and Ruby’s bags into their suite while the others all helped with Weiss’ luggage. Immediately on entry they found a bedroom on the right and restroom on the left, then opened into a kitchen and dining area ahead of them. A single couch was seated in front of a narrow table and television. At the far end of the room was a door leading out to the balcony on which four chairs were ringed around a small round table. To the right of the balcony door was the master bedroom complete with its own restroom and bath.  
“Dibs!” Ruby squealed and tossed her share of the bags into the empty bathtub. The rest of her team followed suit, leaving Ruby’s single bag tucked in the corner of Weiss’s mountain of luggage. The reaper threw herself down on one of the twin beds with a tremendous exaggerated sigh of relief. Weiss sat on the corner of hers, crossing one leg over the other.  
“This isn't that bad. It's a lot like our dorms I guess.”  
Ruby sat up, leaning back on her arms. “Weiss, this is awesome! Look at our view! Plus, we’re not gonna be here that much, right? This is one of the most popular tourist spots in all of the kingdom; there's so much to do!”  
Weiss rolled her eyes, ignoring the rest of Ruby’s rant. “I suppose you're right, it was awfully nice of your father to give us this vacation. I should be more grateful. I'm just used to more prestigious suites from family trips in the past. Hopefully I'm trading crystal chandeliers for a nice rest devoid of constant business calls.”  
“I don't really think you'll have to worry about that, Weiss.” Ruby smirked, grabbing her partner’s wrist in both of her hands, guiding her towards the sliding door leading out onto the balcony. Blake and Yang followed them, taking in their view. The sun was high in the sky by now, shining brilliantly down on the marshland below. The area was ringed with small houses built on stilts, but the marsh itself was completely bare of human interference. Lakes stretched across miles of green land. On the opposite side of their hotel, miles of sandy beaches stretched around the island’s circumference, leading out into the endless ocean. They were on the very southern corner of the kingdom; the nearest landmass in that direction was Menagerie, hundreds of miles away. All was quiet for a moment; oddly, it was Blake who broke the silence.  
“It's beautiful…”  
Yang said nothing, only dropped her hand on her partner’s shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze in agreement. Weiss leaned out over the railing.  
“You certainly don't see anything like this in Atlas. I...think I like it here just a bit more. Wh-Hey! Don't touch me!” Ruby had scooped her partner up and twirled her around in a hug, laughing heartily.  
“You're just mad ‘cuz I get to say I told you so. Umm, so, we’re here for a week… First order of business… Back to bed?” Ruby shrugged innocently though the response was a resounding yes. Weiss had practically begged, seemingly forgetting she was still trapped in Ruby’s arms.  
Blake and Yang took their modest bags into the other room by the entry door and laid them side by side in the closet. Each had a twin size bed to themselves with several layers of covers, though as soon as their boots were off, they collapsed onto their respective beds and fell asleep almost instantly. They might as well make the most of their vacation and sleep in a little.  
* * *  
Blake watched from under the thick blue umbrella as Ruby ran directly into the freezing ocean waters only to be knocked down by a five foot tall wave. Still, much to the reaper’s credit, she stood again with a giggle and flashed her teammates a thumbs up. Weiss hesitantly waded in until the water came up to her pale white knees. Yang had removed most of her bandages and sat beneath the umbrella beside Blake, though she wasn't at all dressed for the beach; she wore full length pants, a long sleeve shirt, and boots. Worst of all, she looked miserable.  
Blake set her book aside and scooted over to Yang’s side of the umbrella, gripping her partner’s knee gently. She winced, but said nothing.  
“We can go. You don't have to sit here just because Ruby wants to play in the ocean. She's even getting Weiss into it--see?”  
The heiress had finally let Ruby drag her deeper into the water, though she was red in the face and desperately paddling to keep her head above the tall waves constantly buffeting them. She was shivering, though Ruby seemed perfectly fine. Amazing what being so carefree can do. Within a few moments of Ruby splashing her, Weiss finally cracked a smile and began to fight back with her own younger partner. A true miracle.  
Yang finally looked over at Blake, sighing as she rolled onto her elbow with her head propped on her hand. “I'm glad to see them having fun. I've been pushing everyone way too hard lately trying to find Neo. I'm not going to force them to leave just because I can't enjoy the beach the same way I used to. It's not--”  
“I said we can go. Ruby is nineteen, Weiss is twenty one. They can handle themselves. Our hotel is just across the street. Come on, I'll let them know we’re going; we could just go to the boardwalk.”  
“...Yeah. Yeah, okay. That should be fine.”  
“The word you're looking for is ‘fun.’ At least pretend to be trying for me.” Blake stuffed her book into the bag they had brought with them and started toward the water. She saw only Weiss, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. She cupped her hands around her mouth and called out to the heiress: “Yang and I are going! We’ll meet you back at the room lat--Ahh!” She screamed as arms closed around her waist. She was propelled through the air faster than she had ever gone before for a moment, only to be released when she was over the water. Her eyes widened in the milliseconds before she was submerged fully beneath the ocean’s salty waves. She kicked her legs hard, scooping water out of the way until she broke the surface to the sounds of Weiss's and Ruby’s laughter.  
Blake inhaled sharply, squeezing her eyes shut and swimming for the beach as quick as she could. By the time she reached the sandy beach, Yang had already started towards her with a towel. The Faunus was beet red and her veins throbbed against her outstretched neck. She spoke in shuddering breaths that dripped of anger, poison, and salt. “Ruby… Weiss…” Her arm instinctively moved to her back, reaching for the hilt of Gambol Shroud. Her weapon was back in their suite, however; they would live. For now.  
Ruby stuck out her tongue. “Payback for ditching us! We’ll just have fun without you!” Blake turned away from them and began to walk away while Yang still tried to dry her off, holding the towel around her partner’s shoulders. Blake’s black thigh high shorts and simple tee were entirely soaked through to the skin, forcing them to make an impromptu trip back to their room. As they left, both she and Yang held one middle finger in the air behind them. More laughing arose from the ocean.  
Some time later, Blake and Yang had returned to the suite. The Faunus had taken a quick shower and changed into pants as well as a cropped white jacket. When she stepped back out into the main living space, Yang whistled at her.  
“Haven't seen you wear that in a while. I thought we were supposed to be on break, not going spelunking in the ruins of some old city.” Blake shot her a look; Yang threw up her arms defensively. “Kidding, kidding. I'm ready to go when you are.”  
Blake rubbed her temples, groaning softly. “Let's get out of here. If I see Ruby or Weiss any time soon, I can't be held responsible for what I might do.” She turned the doorknob and waited for Yang.  
“To be fair, you do know how to swim and it was kind of funny. You're cute when you're angry.” Yang smirked as she left the room.  
Together, the two of them again crossed the street as if going to the beach, but continued down the sidewalk for almost a mile. There, the path opened up into a tourist spot that seemed to attract more attention than even the beach. Shops and attractions lined the pedestrian streets. Many advertised their ‘coastal culture’ with silhouettes of palm trees against a colorful sunset on shirts, flasks, or other miscellaneous items. Maybe that’ll be a good enough “thank you” for Qrow, Yang thought with no minor amusement. They ignored the shops and many tattoo or airbrush artists standing in the doorways, instead making their way towards the boardwalk itself just beyond the Ferris wheel. This area was much less populated to their fortunate surprise, giving them free reign. Side by side, they walked just above the sandy beaches making small talk. Eventually, they turned out onto the long walk that took them out over the ocean. Blake leaned on the railing there, draping her arms over the sides and staring down at the water. Yang took a similar position by her side.  
“I'm scared, Yang.”  
“Of what? The water? You don't have to worry about that; I wouldn't let you drown, and all the nasty things down there don't stand a chance against us, no matter how many teeth they--”  
“Not of the water, idiot. Of everything. We’ve fought for years with no end in sight.” Her hand drifted down to her side where a scar had formed over the place she had been stabbed through the gut during the Battle of Beacon. The sensitive tissue tingled at the slightest touch. “We’ve all been hurt. You more than any of us. Well...of us that are left.” Yang frowned, crossing her arms and rubbing her right elbow.  
“Blake, what's wrong?”  
“The same thing that's wrong with you. You're my partner...I notice when you're upset.”  
Yang sighed, running her fingers through her hair. “I know. It's just kept piling up over the years. By now, people know us; we’ve made enemies we don't even know about that know just about everything about us. That mercenary from Atlas, he knew how I fight so well, he was able to crush me. I'd be dead right now if you hadn't shown up when you did.”  
Blake shook her head, closing her eyes and listening to the waves for a moment. “Ruby and Weiss are dealing with all of this so well. I don't understand. I'm worried for all of us. For you most of all. None of us have lost nearly as much, and it’s becoming increasingly obvious that you’re suffering. I know you’re as used to your new arm as you can be, but it isn’t just that, it’s the moping. You’ve been quiet lately, as if you’re always thinking or worrying about something beyond your control. Not just Neo either. I hate watching you change like that. You can’t possibly imagine the way I see you, Yang… Seeing you change, it hurts me more than you know. You aren’t yourself, and with things becoming more and more dangerous out there every day, I just… I’m terrified.”  
Yang took another step closer to her partner, silent for a long while. Eventually, she leaned her head on Blake. “I’m just as worried as you are. That’s why I’ve made myself so distant, I think. I’ve just felt isolated and worthless because we haven’t made any progress and I keep getting stuck on bedrest. I can't help but feel somehow responsible for pushing us to this point… I mean, we haven't been kids for a long time, but that doesn't make any of this any less dangerous.”  
Blake craned her neck to look down at the mess of blonde hair strewn over her shoulder. “How can you blame yourself for doing your job? We put ourselves knowingly in harm’s way every day; it's our choice. These last few months, you've done more than the rest of us, following up on any lead you can find with or without your team. Everyone respects your tenacity, Yang, but you're going to get yourself killed. That's not something that I...that any of us can live with. You're the strongest person I know, Yang, but that doesn't make the things we’re up against any less powerful or do anything to assure me you won't run out on your own and get yourself killed. I'm scared for all of us, but I'm terrified for you.”  
“Blake, I'm not… I'm… I'm sorry. I just can't help myself. Neo wants Ruby dead more than any of us and I refuse to let her come along and risk getting her killed. Weiss has a target painted on her back for her status. You, I just…” She sighed and rubbed her eyes with her palms. “You know I can't stand forcing you to fight her little militia. Damn it…” She slammed her fist down on the wooden railing, looking out over the ocean again. “I don't understand how she got so many of the former White Fang troops to follow her.”  
“Adam left a lot of them behind when he went missing. It's no surprise they turned to someone just as insane to keep leading them towards mayhem.” Blake grimaced and stepped away from the railing, turning away from the waves with her arms folded and eyes closed. “Yang, I can fight them. I realized a long time ago that some Faunus became just as bloodthirsty as Adam did working for the White Fang. There are some things I can't fight. Some things I can't handle. One of those things would be losing you, and we’ve come too close to that too many times already. Just...please...promise me you won't try to take on another crusade by yourself.”  
Yang sighed and put her arms up behind her head, looking out at the waves. Cool green sea spray speckled her face, bringing back memories of the first time she had seen the ocean. She was only a little girl then, and Ruby was barely walking at all. Summer Rose had been with them then, the mother that held her heart. Chuckling quietly to herself, Yang smiled.  
“Yeah… I don't think I'm ready to die yet. So as long as you're with me, I promise I won't do anything stupid on my own.”  
Yang nearly choked when Blake slammed into her back with her arms around her waist. Her partner hugged her so tightly she almost couldn't breathe. The Faunus girl sniffled, refusing to let go until Yang was red in the face. The two shared a look after, one that forced them to bite their tongues and say nothing despite all they could.  
***  
Days passed in a similar fashion with Weiss and Ruby doing activities while Blake and Yang spent all their time together walking around, enjoying the change in scenery. Often the pairs would meet up for dinner, though some days the pairs would separate near dawn and not reconvene until after dark back at their hotel room. The last night of their stay here was one such night; Blake invited Yang to enjoy it with her after they had eaten sandwiches in their suite’s kitchen. The two of them made their way down to the ground level and out through the hotel lobby, slipping around back and following a red stone pathway through a small garden. Bushes of indigo flowers lined their walk, though insect chattering seemed absent. They couldn't have asked for a quieter night, hearing nothing but each other's breathing and the occasional heavy footfall. A small red-roofed gazebo came into view, standing in the middle of a reflective pool. For a moment, they stopped at the seemingly perfect white bridge before Yang started across. Blake followed.  
Yang leaned against the railing, looking down at her reflection on the water. Her partner joined her closely enough that the hair on their elbows touched, sending a shiver down each Huntress’s spine. Neither acknowledged it--at least, not enough to show.  
“Hey...thanks,” Yang muttered, her voice barely above a whisper. Her head didn't move, but she could see Blake’s reflection looking at her own. “For sticking with me all this time. You could've gone and had fun with the others if you'd wanted.” Blake’s reflection faced down at the water once more.  
A long silence followed. Then: “It wouldn't have been the same.”  
Yang raised her head at that, shifting so she leaned on her elbow and faced Blake. The Faunus didn't move, still staring blankly into the water below. Her fiery partner cocked her head in her direction, gently bumping their elbows together. “What do you mean?”  
Another moment of silence filled the air before Blake drew in a sharp breath and stood, leaning against a sturdy white post and folding her arms over her chest. “I mean,” she croaked. “I wouldn't have had the fun I did if I spent it with Weiss and Ruby. I'd have been intruding on their private time as a couple. Not to mention I'd be worrying about you the whole time. If I'd left you alone, you'd have sat in the room and watched TV the whole vacation.” She paused again, idly kicking at the air with one foot. Her muscles tensed and relaxed in intervals. Finally, without raising her head to look at Yang, she whispered, “Besides...time I spend with you means something to me.”  
The blonde’s features flashed a look of confusion only briefly, followed by a faint blush and a smile. She turned her eyes to the shattered moon. “Yeah… Couldn't have said it better myself, Blakey.” The Faunus stepped up beside her once more, planting her hands on the railing and following her gaze. Yang’s fingers crawled slowly across the wooden posts and sprung after a moment's hesitation, gently covering Blake’s smooth hand. The poor girl nearly jumped out of her skin, her golden eyes remaining glued to the moon. Her body had tensed up, stuck in a single shocking moment in time. No turning back now, Yang thought to herself. Biting her lip, she sidestepped behind her partner and buried her face in a nest of raven black hair.  
Bit by bit, Blake's muscles began to relax; eventually, her head tipped back to one side, nestling into the crook of Yang’s neck. She closed her fingers around her partner’s, brushing her thumbs over the bruiser’s thickly calloused knuckles down to her smooth fingertips. Finally, she pulled her hands around her torso. Yang got the message and hugged Blake around the waist, nuzzling her cheek against her lovely ninja’s. Neither let their gaze fall from the moon above until minutes later when Blake turned her head up towards Yang.  
“I think everything is going to be okay,” she whispered.  
Yang released her from her grasp, turned her until they faced each other. Blake’s fingers trailed slowly up her sides, sending a shiver down the blonde’s spine. When she opened her eyes, Blake’s shining golden pair were mere inches away. Their noses touched. “Maybe you're right… I'm just worried about Ne-”  
She was silenced by a finger placed forcefully against her lips. For a moment longer, Yang tried to keep speaking, but her companion was adamant. As soon as she stopped trying to talk, Blake’s eyes fell to her partner's lips, drifting seductively back to the soft lilacs of Yang’s eyes. They drew an inch closer. Then another. Their lips touched, but only briefly, ghosting across the smooth surface for a moment of hesitation before finally being sealed in a kiss. The Faunus's hands drifted slowly up the blonde’s arms, sliding over the curve of her thick shoulders. She felt Yang’s hands press into the small of her back, keeping her close. Neither moved from that spot; when they could no longer hold that kiss, Blake bent her neck and rested her head against Yang’s collar.  
Yang settled her chin into a nest of raven-black hair and cast her eyes towards Remnant’s shattered moon. “You're right, Blake… Everything's gonna be okay in the end. It has to be.”  
“It has to be…?” Blake lifted her head away from her partner's warmth, curiously staring into the loving violet eyes that captured her so long ago.  
“It just...has to. I'm scared, but...well, that's how your books go, right? The hero is always afraid of what's ahead, but in the end they come out okay. Things have to be okay.”  
Blake paused. This time, it was she who slid her arms around Yang’s waist and pulled her in, this time for a warm hug. “I love you… As long as we handle things tactfully, not even this world can take that away.”  
“Yeah… I love you too. I'm not going off on my own anymore. Just...don't die. It took me years just to kiss you. I don't want to lose what I have before I get the chance to marry you.”  
The Faunus's cheeks lit up with a deep pink blush, though she said nothing. The pair of newfound lovers turned their heads away from the broken moon and sealed their lips in another kiss, oblivious to the world around them. Tomorrow, they would return to their frightening lives as huntresses at war with evil; tonight was theirs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been considering turning this short into a full-fledged fanfic, though doing so would likely detract from writing time on Shadowflame and the White Rose fic I have in the works (cue intense eyebrow waggling). If that's something you all would like to see, please let me know.


End file.
